Narration Techniques for Class XII Year by Lecturer Saima Mustafa Eng. Dept. DCW Ph VIII

Learning Tenses Present, Past and Future tenses are discussed. Verb format in each tense is analyzed. Students contribute through debate.

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH Direct speech is that form of narration in which the actual words of a speaker are reported. She says, “I am working in the kitchen.” Reporting Speech------- Reported Speech Indirect Speech is that form of speech in which what one speaker says is reported by another with utmost accuracy but without using that person’s actual words. Rules apply according to the tense of the Reporting speech.

Narration Rules Changing from Direct into Indirect Speech Elimination of inverted commas. Change of pronouns. Certain words that change when converted into indirect. Change regarding questions and exclamations.

Rules Contd. In the indirect speech the commas are omitted. The conjunction that - except in certain cases like commands, exclamations and questions - is used to join the reporting speech and the reported speech. The capital letter of the first word of the reported speech is replaced by a small letter. The pronouns in the reported speech are to be changed when necessary.

Rules Contd. The tense of the reporting verb is never changed. The tense of the verb in the reported speech changes to agree with the tense of the verb in the reporting speech to maintain the proper sequence of tense.

Change of Pronouns Pronouns of the first person are changed to the person of the subject of the reporting speech. For example: He says, “I have no money with me.” He says that he has no money with him. Pronouns of the second person are changed to the person of the noun/pronoun to whom the reported speech is addressed. For example: You said to Zain, “I would be happy to welcome you in my house.” You said to Zain that you would be happy to welcome him in your house. Generally, the pronouns of third person in the direct speech remain unchanged in the indirect speech. For example: He said, “ She is a good person.” He said that she was a good person.

Rules Regarding Tense If the verb of the reporting speech is in the Present or Future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.

Contd. Present/Future Indefinite---- Remains the same Present/Future Cont.--------- Remains the same Present/Future Perfect------- Remains the same Present/Future Perfect Cont.- Remains the same

Examples Direct: He says, “I am a poor but honest man.” Indirect: He says that he is a poor but honest man. Direct: He will say, “ I am a humble man and do not wish to offend anyone.” Indirect: He will say that he is a humble man and does not wish to offend anyone.

Examples Contd. Direct: Your father will say, “Life was very hard during the war.” Indirect: Your father will say that life was very hard during the war. Direct: He says, “Dogs would be hard to beat in faithfulness.” Indirect: He says that dogs would be hard to beat in faithfulness.

Rules Regarding Tense Contd. If the verb of the reporting speech is in the past tense, the verbs of the reported speech- in the present tense- are changed to past tense.

Contd. Present Indefinite is changed to Past Indefinite Present Continuous-------to Past Continuous Present Perfect----------to Past Perfect Present Perfect Continuous-- to Past Perfect Continuous

Examples Direct: He said, “I am a school teacher.” Indirect: He said that he was a school teacher. Direct: He said, “ I am going to sell my shares.” Indirect: He said that he was going to sell his shares. Direct: The guest said to his host, “I have really enjoyed my stay at your house.” Indirect: The guest said to his host that he had really enjoyed his stay at his house. Direct: The student said, “I have been doing a lot of hard work.” Indirect: The student said that he had been doing a lot of hard work.

Rules Regarding Tense Contd. If the verb of the reporting speech is in the Past tense and the tense of the reported speech is in the Future tense then will/shall change to would (in exceptions it changes to should).

Examples Direct: The manager said to me, “I will personally see that you get all you need.” Indirect: The manager said to me that he would personally see that I got all I needed. Direct: He said, “I shall be coming back in a day or two.” Indirect: He said that he would be coming back in a day or two.

Rules Regarding Tense Contd. If the verb of the reporting speech is in the Past tense and the tense of the reported speech is also in the Past tense then following changes take place:

Contd. Past Indefinite changes to Past perfect Past Continuous-----to Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect remains as Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous remains as Past Perfect Continuous

Examples Direct: He said, “Jimmy was in the room.” Indirect: He said that Jimmy had been in the room. Direct: I said to her, “I was planning to visit you.” Indirect: I said to her that I had been planning to visit her. Direct: He said, “I had not expected my friend to reach so soon.” Indirect: He said that he had not expected his friend to reach so soon. Direct: The nurse said, “I had been working voluntarily.” Indirect: The nurse said that she had been working voluntarily.

Note If the reported speech expresses a universal truth, its tense will not change. Example Direct: He said, “The world is round.” Indirect: He said that the world is round.

Questions a. When a question with why, what, how, where, when, etc. is to be changed into indirect speech, the verb of the reporting speech is replaced by inquired, demanded or asked, and the conjunction that is not used. The question changes into a statement.

Examples Direct: I said to him, “What is your next plan?” Indirect: I asked him what his next plan was. Direct: He said to the little boy, “Why are you crying?” Indirect: He inquired of the little boy why he was crying.

Questions b. When questions beginning with an auxiliary verb are to be changed into indirect speech, if or whether is used to join the reporting speech and the reported speech, and the question is converted into a statement.

Examples Direct: The stranger said to me, “Are you willing to contribute to our charity?” Indirect: The stranger asked me if I was willing to contribute to their charity. Direct: He said to the teacher, “Do you think my essay is good?” Indirect: He asked the teacher whether she thought his essay was good.

Commands and Requests In indirect speech, commands and requests are introduced with an infinitive and the reporting verb is replaced by told, ordered, commanded, requested etc., according to the sense of the sentence.

Examples Direct: He said to his servant, “Fetch me a glass of water.” Indirect: He ordered his servant to fetch him a glass of water. Direct: I said to him, “Please sit down.” Indirect: I requested him to sit down. Direct: He said , “Let us go out for a walk.” Indirect: He proposed that they should go out for a walk.

Desires and Exclamations When desires and exclamations are changed into indirect speech, the reporting verb is replaced by wished, desired, exclaimed, cried, wished, prayed, desired etc. and that is used as a conjunction to join the reporting speech and the reported speech.

Examples Direct: He said, “Hurrah! I have topped again.” Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that he had topped again. Direct: She said, “How ugly do I look in this dress!” Indirect: She exclaimed that she looked very ugly in that dress. Direct: The old beggar said to me, “May God bless you my son!” Indirect: The old beggar called me his son and prayed that God might bless me.

Change of Words Denoting Time and Position The words showing nearness in time and space are changed to words showing distance unless the sense requires otherwise, for example in He said, “I wandered here and there.” we cannot replace here by there.

Change of Words Contd. If the reporting verb is in the past tense: Direct Speech Indirect Speech this/these that/those here there now then last {the previous the…before…} next {the next the following… the …after} today that day tonight that night yesterday {the previous day the day before} tomorrow {the next day the following day the day after} the day before yesterday the day before the previous day the day after tomorrow the day after the next day last night the previous night next week the following week

Changing from Indirect to Direct Speech Use say/said as the reporting verb instead of said/told/stated. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, make the requisite change of tense in the direct speech. Make the necessary changes of person. Replace words denoting remoteness by the corresponding words denoting nearness. Put the direct speech within inverted commas.

Examples Indirect: She says she likes going to the seaside. Direct: She says, “I like going to the seaside.” Indirect: You said to me that you had been reading a very interesting book the previous day. Direct: You said to me, “I was reading a very interesting book yesterday.” Indirect: The girl asked her mother whether she might wear that dress. Direct: The girl said, “May I wear this dress mother?”

Narration Practice Students build the ability to distinguish between different rules. Students learn to choose correct method and apply it. Students improve their ability to come up with correct answers.

END Thank You for your patience. By this time the concepts regarding Narration are pretty clear. A little practice off and on is required to make the students ready for any challenges.